It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Town of Hempstead for more than 20 years, the last five of those years as town supervisor. At the end of this month I will be stepping down from this position to assume a new challenge at Hofstra University.

Over the last five years, municipalities on Long Island have faced many challenges and the Town of Hempstead has met each of these challenges successfully. Our bond rating is the highest of any town or county on Long Island and we have done much to improve the town infrastructure with projects, including road improvements and park refurbishments.

One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is the conversion of a former landfill into a beautiful nature preserve which saved taxpayers $42 million over conventional capping measures. This project serves as a true testimony on how government, working with neighbors, can reclaim environmentally damaged land for the benefit of local residents.

I have had the opportunity to work with many talented professionals in government. Town residents are fortunate to have bright and dedicated employees who work at town facilities. I am hopeful that my new responsibilities will keep me in continued contact with my friends at town hall as well as with residents of the town.

I am looking forward to working on new projects that I trust will benefit area residents as executive dean of Hofstra University's new Center for Suburban Studies and the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center. I will miss serving residents as Town of Hempstead Supervisor, however, I am hopeful that I will have the opportunity to interact with many of you at the university and in the community. Thank you all for a wonderful 21 years of public service.